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See the person, not the drug

Queensland will take part in a campaign to end the shame and stigma often experienced by families of people living with problematic alcohol or other drug use.

National Family Drug Support Day on 24 February highlights the need to look past the stigma of drug use and instead see the person who is someone’s son, daughter, sister, brother, mother or father.

Prominent campaigner Tony Trimingham of Family Drug Support said: “Behind every statistic of a drug-related overdose death, arrest or hospitalisation there is a family suffering pain. All too often in a cloud of stigma and shame.”

Family Drug Support is marking 20 years helping families adversely affected by alcohol and other drug use. This year also marks two decades since Mr Trimingham’s son, Damien, was lost to a drug overdose.

The Queensland Mental Health Commission is supporting a range of Family Drug Support activities over 12 months in south-east Queensland and regionally with a $41,500 grant from the Stronger Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Grants Program.

As well as seeking to reduce stigma and discrimination for families and drug users, National Family Drug Support Day helps promote support services for families and harm reduction strategies, also key approaches under the Queensland Alcohol and Other Drugs Action Plan 2015-17.

Dr van Schoubroeck said demand and harm reduction were as important to tackling problemic drug use as supply reduction, and families were at the frontline.

“Families and communities play a big role in supporting people to recover from dependency and reconnect with the community.

“Families are often caught in the middle of a situation they’ve never dealt with before, over which they have little control. They can feel judged, misunderstood, isolated and at times overwhelmed.

“At the same time they are often the most important source of support and recovery for their family member.

“With the right support for individuals, their families and communities, people who become dependent can and do recover to live lives with purpose.”